Over the Chinese New Year weekend, my sister had two of her friends come over for a reunion-cum-birthday dinner. During the course of dinner, MC suddenly mentioned that one of the most useless characters that Singapore ever had was the Courtesy Lion. In a bout of bloodthirsty-ness she went on to describe how she’d always wanted to pounce on the local icon and just rip it a new hide.

MC (enthusiastically): It’s bloody useless! And smiling all the time, all you want to do it just beat it up!
BW: That actually sounds like a plan. Maybe we should do something about it...(rubs hands together in glee). What, ambush from the bushes issit?
MC: No! We hold a wire and trip it first. Then when it’s in the floor we whack the shit outta it. Phwoar! Will feel damn good! (You can tell that someone’s damn enthu about this thing, thought long and hard, can)
BW: Yea man, we can tag team and beat it to a bloody pulp for being useless and smiling for nothing! Plus it has a stupid song!
Both (manically): MWHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yes, sometimes frustrations need an outlet to air but maybe the powers that be heard us.

On Thursday, I went back to the office and lo and behold! The Courtesy Lions which used to line the lawn beside the MICA building in Hill Street – were gone. *ROFL*

When I think back about all the local characters that we’ve had, nothing’s improved. Well, despite all the bloody mascots, Singaporeans are not any more gracious. In fact, we can be really obnoxious about it. Singaporeans just expect you to move away when they approach or glare at you so that you will move out of the way. Hey, what happened to saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’? Basic courtesy takes you places, people.

And hallo, powers-that-be, how can normal Singaporeans expect to take anything seriously if you keep treating us like children? And what’s up with Lyo and Merly? We should just pile them all up in a bonfire and burn the suckers! Rar!